Hamilton County reports rising MBE spending after BOLD outreach; mentorship initiative links primes and subcontractors

Robert Bell, director of Hamilton County’s Office of Economic Inclusion and Equity, told commissioners on April 1 that the office’s outreach and procurement changes have increased minority-owned business participation in county contracting.

Bell said the county recorded total Board/County Commission departmental expenditures of $58,100,000 in 2024, of which $9,800,000 was spent with minority business enterprises (MBEs). He described an aspirational overall minority-spend goal of 16% established after a disparity study and said the county is using contract-specific goals and a four-part approach called PSPE — policy, strategies, practices and expectations — to raise participation.

Why it matters

Bell and small-business guests said greater MBE participation keeps public dollars circulating locally and helps build minority-owned firms into employers that can offer benefits and career pathways. Commissioners and presenters framed the work as an economic-development and procurement strategy rather than a purely social program.

What the office is doing

Bell described three tools used to expand participation: a searchable BOLD contractor directory, a "getting to know you" initiative that arranges pre-solicitation meetings between agencies and vendors, and a Mentorship Partnership Initiative that pairs primes with small subcontractors for hands-on assistance.

- BOLD contractor directory: Bell said the directory now lists more than 1,100 vendors, with roughly 150 signups in the preceding two months. - Getting-to-know-you: The county arranges informational 1:1 sessions between departments and potential vendors so small firms can learn what a department typically buys (these sessions are limited to non-solicitation periods). - Mentorship Partnership Initiative: Bell said the county identifies subcontract types primes use most frequently, invites 8–10 vetted small vendors and asks primes to pick 3–5 firms for deeper mentoring, guidance or subcontracting opportunities.

Small-business testimonials

Contractors who said they benefitted from the office’s outreach included Ben Parks of Park Electric Services, James Stocks of DJX Construction, and Jeff Evans of Pepper Construction. Parks described early contact with the office that let him prepare for upcoming work at the Hillcrest Youth campus and said the relationship helped him plan hiring and apprenticeship placement. "When you have a outreach to where you know what's going on, Robert reached out to me long before this was even going on, knowing that it was in the pipeline, so I had months to really get myself together," Parks said.

James Stocks and Jeff Evans described how the mentorship sessions put small contractors in front of primes and helped with prequalification, bid preparation and follow-up feedback after solicitations. Evans said Pepper Construction has prequalified several firms and is helping smaller contractors bridge administrative gaps such as bid instructions and prequalification forms.

Ending

Commissioners praised the program and asked the office to continue expanding outreach and the mentorship program. Bell and commissioners said the county would continue monitoring spending, refining contract goals and encouraging prime firms to adopt progressive subcontracting practices.